Ever think of having a blue Christmas? Or an ivory one? Maybe even gold. Design gurus Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar rewrite the rules of holiday decorating at their Connecticut home.

Get choosy with colors.

Get choosy with colors.

The first step to preparing for the holidays? Picking a palette that speaks to you—not just Yuletide tradition. "Christmas colors clash with most interiors," says designer, blogger, party host extraordinaire, and editorial director for Rue La La, Eddie Ross, who suggests enhancing your rooms' existing hues instead of defaulting to red and green. In his own dining room, a tablecloth sewn from Tricia Guild fabric sparked the color scheme. Ross and his partner, Jaithan Kochar—the marketing director for Grange Furniture—echoed the bold turquoise with blue tapers and glass ornaments atop brass candlesticks. They painted the walls here (and throughout the house) White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

Stock the bar; don't tend it.

Stock the bar; don't tend it.

Ross and Kochar remain perpetually ready to cocktail party, thanks to this fully loaded 1960s brass cart, which encourages guests to help themselves. "Splurge on the good stuff, and it's special without fussing," says Ross, who's partial to Gosling's Rum and Hendrick's Gin. "Toss spiced nuts in a bowl, and you're done," he says.